As I was having my devotions this morning, I was reading about Deborah. Deborah was a unique woman in Bible history. She was a prophetess, a judge, and a military leader. The Bible says that the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided, and she held court under the Palm tree.
Judges 4:6 And she sent and called Barak…, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded… I love this verse because it shows that Deborah didn’t use her personal opinion for counsel, but she used God’s Word. She tells Barak, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you to take ten thousand men from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead the way to Mount Tabor. I will bait Sisera and his troops to the Kishon River, and the Lord will give him into your hands.” It seems as if Barak lacked faith because he says to Deborah, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.” Then Deborah tells him, “I will go with you, but you won’t get the honor for this victory. The honor will go to a woman.”
This is exactly what happened:
Judges 4:18-21 And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle. And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him. Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and inquire of thee, and say, Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, No. Then Jael Heber’s wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.
Wow! Jael had such courage and strength. I don’t know if I would have had the courage to drive a nail through the temple of a great military leader!
This story shows what an influence a woman can have on a man. When your husband begins to have a lapse of faith, think of the courage of Deborah and Jael, and encourage him with these words, “ WE CAN DO THIS WITH THE LORD’S HELP!